7. Temple Building Activities of Purusottama Ksetra

The ksetra of Purusottama is one of the prominent centers of temple building activities of Orissa. Besides the main temple of Lord Jagannatha, the ksetra has a good number of temples of smaller and medium sizes, which enjoy the reputation of considerable sanctity. Out of all the extant temples of ksetra, most of them are important from the cultural point of view. A survey of the extant temples of the ksetra reveal that there was brisk architectural activities started from the Somavamsi period (10th century AD) and completed in the Maratha period of Orissa history. The extant temples are mostly dedicated to the different deities such as Siva, Visnu, Kali, Krsna, Surya, Hanumana, Ganes etc. Being an important cultural site as well as the political headquarters, the native rulers tried to develop the religious tradition through the construction of temples in all parts of the ksetra. Before the British occupation of Orissa, the ksetra of Purusottama was the political headquarters of the eastern part of Orissa. Political stability by the periodic order and economic validity through the larger part of history were responsible for the growth of culture of this ksetra. The extant temples of the ksetra are built in the regional style, which is recognised by scholars as the 13

Kalinga Style of architecture in India. The regional style of temple architecture in ancient India saw its most individualistic and variegated articulations at the hands of Kalingan craftsmen in the post 'Gupta period. The Kalinga region in that process became also the amalgam of many stylistic designs and cultic presentations.57 The details of the Kalinga Style of Architecture have been elaborately mentioned in the second chapter. The temple of Lord Jagannatha is one of the best specimens of this style of architecture. The popularity of the ksetra increased after the construction of a grand temple for Lord Purusottama by Ananta Varman Codaganga Deva, the founder of the Ganga dynasty in the Utkala territory of ancient Orissa.58 The oldest extant temple of the ksetra is the temple of Albukesvara built by Lalatendu Kesari (AD 623 - 627 AD).59 The most notable temples of the ksetra are eight Saiva shrines such as Lokanatha, Markandesvara, Yamesvara, Kapalamocana, Nilakanthesvara, Ksetrapala, Belesvara and Patalesvara. W.W. Hunter records the existence of temples dedicated to the worship of Lord Siva and His female energy in their sixteen different manifestations in the ksetra of Purusottama. The main Sambhus are represented by the images of Lokanatha, Markandesvara, Kapalamocana, Yamesvara, Nilakanthesvara, Trilocana, Bhutesvara and Patalesvara; the female candis have the appellation of Mangala, Vimala, Sarva Mangala, Kali, Dhatri, Kamaksya, Ardha- asti and Bhabani. Most of the oldest existent Saiva temples of the ksetra were built by the Somavamsi rulers of Orissa. Prior to the advent of Vaisnavism, the ksetra was a Sakta pitha and it can be substantiated both by the literary texts containing the list of Sakta pithas in Tantric texts and archaeological evidences. H.V. Stietencron has pointed out that goddess Vimala was the presiding deity and her original temple was situated on Nilacala." Although the original temple of goddess Vimala has long been extinct, another temple dedicated to her was also erected within the Jagannatha temple complex at a latter date. Most probably, the original temple of goddess Vimala was built during the Somavamsi period. After the construction of the temple of Lord Purusottama (Jagannatha), a number of smaller and medium sized temples erected in the ksetra for the worship of several deities viz :- Siva, Visnu, Laksmi, Krsna, Hanumana, Ganesa, Kali etc. 14

Other notable temples of the ksetra are Narasimha, Nila-Madhava, Narayana, Sakhi-Gopala, Gundica, Surya-Narayana, Siddha Mahavir, DariaMahavir, Badri-Narayana, Daksinakali, Syamakali, Alam candi, Tota-Gopinatha, Varahi, Benu-Madhava, Mangala, Gopinatha, Bata-Lokanatha, Ksetrapala, Rama Candi, Hara candi etc. On the basis of a number of extant temples of various sects of Hinduism in this ksetra, Surya Narayana Das aptly remarks that the place of Purusottama can be rightly said as the Mandiramaalini ksetra of India.6